Girl at Home
by ablanca07
Summary: What if Rory would've married Logan at the end of Season 7 and moved to California with him. What would her married life be like? What would happen when she finds out a secret he had been keeping from her? Will she stay? Set 10 years after the season finale. (Not really for Logan and Rory lovers, sorry) [ONE SHOT]


**Girl at Home**

**Chapter One: Stay**

**Synopsis: **_What if Rory would've married Logan at the end of Season 7 and moved to California with him. What would her married life be like? Set 10 years after the season finale. _

Rory was sitting in her couch attempting to read a book. Seemed like reading was the only pleasure she was having these day. It was another lonely week waiting for Logan to home from his business trip. It's not the she regretted marrying Logan. Part of her still cared about him, she regretted moving to California. Maybe if she would've stayed in the east. She would still be a writer and be working for a newspaper. It was hard to find a job in California; everyone was trying to "make it." Maybe if she would've stayed in the East, her mom would've still been her best friend. She doesn't even remember the last time they spoke. It felt that her mom was so disappointed of Rory for giving up her dream for some guy. She heard the door, Logan was finally home. She walks over to the entrance and there is Logan like always carrying a gift. Rory thought the reason he always brought back a souvenir was because he missed her.

"Hey Ace"

"Hey"

He gave her a peck on the cheek. The fire that once was so strong was slowly fading away. Rory could feel the light fade could he?

"I'm pretty tired; I'm just going to bed"

"How long are you staying?"

She was hopeful of a date night or something to spark the fire. She hated failing, she felt that she failed at her career. She couldn't let her marriage fall apart as well.

"I leave again tomorrow, just came for quick hello."

"Oh"

Even though she was disappointed it seemed that Logan could care less if she was happy. She saw him walk upstairs to their bedroom. Rory feels defeated, even though he is home. The mansion of a home feels so cold and empty. Like her marriage. Rory decided one last try to fire things up. She undressed herself before entering the room, and to her dismay to find Logan already sleeping. She tried to get on top of him. But Logan said "Rory I'm tired, not tonight"

Rory went into the restroom turning on the bath. As the water ran, she tried to tell herself this and him were what she wanted. She cried, with the water running, so he couldn't hear.

The next day Logan left again, leaving a note on his pillow that he would call. Rory had heard of a local charity that was in need of donated books. She decided to clean out the bookshelves. She fell upon Jess Mariano's book. When she pulled it out, she saw a stack of papers behind. She pulled out the rest of the books and took out the papers. It was a property in Philadelphia. Logan had bought house in the East. Rory was filled with joy, he does love her. He bought a house so she could be closer to her family. Maybe she could finally get a writing job there. Rory thought why Logan hadn't told her about the house, she guessed it was supposed to be a surprise. She decided she wanted to take a small glimpse at the house. She went online and used her credit card to get a plane ticket.

She gets out of the Philadelphia Airport and smells the east side air. She remembers the last time she was here was because of Jess. That last kiss they had. Part of her wanted to kiss him for revenge on Logan and another just wanted to kiss him. As much as she hated to admit, it made her feel guilty. She hailed a cab and told him the address she had written down on a piece of paper. As they pull up to the house she tells the "Please stay, I won't be here long" The cab driver nods. She looks at the house seeing how beautiful it was. She had to acknowledge it was much better than their California home. She was just going to look and leave but then she thought maybe there is a construction worker inside. Her only explanation as to why Logan hadn't shown her this house was because he was still fixing it. She knocked on the door, hopeful to see a bit of the inside of her new home. When a blonde woman with caramel colored eyes opens the door "May I help you?"

"Um…I think I have the wrong house"

"Who were you looking for?"

Rory wasn't sure what to say, did she write down the address wrong. Who was this woman? She looked like a small figured ballerina.

"Um…Logan. I was looking for Logan. My mistake"

"Oh you mean my husband. He's here" The woman calls out behind her "Honey someone is here to see you!"

"You're husband?" Rory asks she feels confused. She feels as if someone punched her in the stomach, she can't breathe.

Logan walks over carrying a newborn and says "Who's at the door?"

The woman asks Rory "I'm sorry what was your name?" But by the time Rory was going to respond. She hears Logan say "Rory?"

Rory wants to cry but she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction. After 10 years of marriage, after sacrificing her career, he went off and started another family. Is that even legal? Then she hears Logan say "What are you doing here?"

"I'm your wife remember"

She looks at the girl when she said that awaiting for her reaction. She grabbed the baby and said "I can't believe this" and walked towards inside the house. Logan yells after her "Natasha wait" he turns towards Rory "I'll send you the divorce papers Rory"

"That's it? We're done?"

"We've been done more months"

And just like that he closed the door on her face. She walked towards the cab and cried the whole way to a bar.

Rory is at a bar drinking when two men come up to her and say

"We have a friend"

"That isn't very good with the ladies we may add"

"Who has had his heart broken"

"But we believe you look like his heart breaker, and if you could just say Hi. Maybe you will get along. What do you say?"

Rory didn't know what to say, she found it amusing that these two gentlemen finished each other sentences. She agreed to meet the poor man with a broken heart like her. As she follows them, she hears them say.

"We found you a pretty lady, Jess"

Rory looks up and sees Jess; she doesn't know what to say. So she said what she was told, she said "Hi"

Jess said "Hi Rory" with a smirk.

"Christopher we have just met the infamous Rory Gilmore" Matt said

"Your stories are classic"

She couldn't believe Jess would talk about her with them. She didn't wanna tell Jess what happened with Logan, she knew he would say he told her so. He was the one who said Logan was no good. Should she have listened so many moons ago?

Jess said to the waitress "A round of drinks please"

Rounds of drinks kept being passed and Rory went from buzzing to drunk very quickly. Has she eaten that day? She couldn't remember. Jess was pretty quiet the whole night the only ones making an effort of conversation was Chris. She was dreading the last question he asked, but she knew she had left her dignity after her last jagger bomb. Chris asked "What are you doing in Philadelphia?"

"I came to catch my husband cheating. I'm sorry he didn't cheat; he started a whole new family with some model Natasha. What kind of name is that? I wasted a decade in California for me. Wasted my talent, my career. I could've been a foreign correspondent you know? That was my dream. He knows that" and she points at Jess. Jess looked at Rory like he actually felt bad for her. Like she was a charity case. She continued with "But don't feel bad for me. He obviously didn't, he couldn't even say sorry. He said "I'll send you the divorce papers" Really a decade past and that's the response I receive?"

Jess finally spoke "If he would've said sorry would you have stayed with him?"

"Well no. But I should've had the right I'll send YOU the divorce papers. Not him"

Matt said "She wins on the break up stories for sure"

"The what?" she was confused

Chris explained to her "Tonight we tried to top each other on who had experience the worst breakups. Jess had won the title, did you know he waited for some girl for almost three years till he finally decided to move on"

Matt said "Of course she would know that is her"

Jess smirked and said "You guys are dicks, and I am out of money"

Rory never really thought about how many years passed between their break up and all the other heart breaking moments she had with Jess. It was three years. For three years he kept coming back to her. That's so sad, she didn't want to stop drinking and she didn't want them to leave. "No don't go I'll pay"

Chris said "We certainly cannot let a lady pay"

"Sorry let me rephrase that my cheating, lying, two faced EX husband will be paying for our drinks tonight" and with that she pulled out Logan's card that he had given her. He had to be good for something right?

Jess smiled. It was a genuine smile that Rory only saw on certain occasions; he raised up his drink and said "To Gilmore!"

"To Gilmore" the other men joined. It felt nice to be called a Gilmore again. It was a realization that a decade was over but a new chapter would begin in her life. As a Gilmore as it should be.

The next morning she felt her head throbbing. She didn't even remember how she got home. Wait this wasn't home? Where was she? She was still dressed in her clothes. Hopefully that meant nothing happened. She went out of her room at her attempt to find a restroom, when she opened the door Jess was wearing nothing but a towel. She could see he worked out throughout the years because everything was so define. Her heart raced and her palms felt sweaty. She couldn't remember when the last time she had sex was. She tries to remember if in her weak state last night if she did anything with him. He said "Morning"

"Morning…um…we didn't…?"

"No, Rory we didn't have sex."

"Ok. Good. I should probably go"

"Ok"

"Thank you for last night"

He nods. She starts turning to leave as he says "Everything will be ok…You'll be ok"

"Thanks Jess" and walks out the door.

She stood outside the closed door for a while. Wishing he would come with her. She needed a friend. She needed someone to help her get her stuff out of that horrible house in California. California…she just realized she missed her flight. She would have to book another one. But this time she would go to Stars Hollow. She needed her mom. After 10 years she needed her mom more than ever.

As she knocked on the door, she was nervous at her mother's reaction. Then she sees Luke open the door, "Rory" he looked surprised and he yelled out to her mother "Lorelai Rory's here. Come in. It's great to see you it's been too long." He goes in and gives her a hug. It felt nice. It felt like being at home. They go to the kitchen. And Lorelai says "I missed you kid" and she reaches in for a hug. She was expecting something more cold, but she was happy her mom missed her as much as she missed her. She knew she could go through small talk or she could get to the point. "Logan and I are getting a divorce and I need to pack my things out of the house. Can u come with me to California?"

Lorelai didn't seem surprised, she didn't even ask why she was getting a divorced, she looked like she was trying to hide a smile and said "Let me grab my bag"

After hours of packing her clothes and books. Rory felt empty, she told her mom everything that happened and she cried in front her. Her mother tried to comfort her letting her know that she still had so many people that loved her. Rory was excited to go back to Stars Hollow but at the same time she felt that it was sad at her age moving back with her mom. And the most she had accomplished is graduating from Yale. While she was packing some books she heard the doorbell ring and Lorelai yell out "Rory!"

While she walked downstairs she hears Lorelai yelling at the person at the door "You have some nerve showing up here in this house! What are you already going to take over! You broke up a marriage! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Rory tried to hurry her step; she knew that Lorelai had just met Natasha. Strangely the speech felt familiar in her ears. She remembered running into Lindsey and her mom after her disaster with Dean. Was this karma? What goes around comes around?

She finally reaches the doorway to stop Lorelai from rambling on about how the other woman will get a happy ending either and that it was her fault as much as Logan's. Rory says to the woman "What do you want?"

Natasha sighs "I came to say sorry. I didn't know you existed. Maybe I should've. I just found out our marriage isn't legal in this country. We had gotten married in Italy. That's where my family is. I also needed to tell you, that I thought a lot about leaving Logan but I have a child with him. I have no money to support him without Logan. So I brought you this"

She hands Rory a check and an envelope. "I'm asking you to leave my family alone now. In the envelope are your divorce papers. I am sorry for what happened to you. "

Natasha walked away. Lorelai looked at the check "Well that's a lot of zeros after that 5"

"I can't accept the check."

"Good. You don't need their pity money."

"Let me just sign the divorce and I'm ready to go"

"Rory, are you okay?"

"I will be"

She smiles at her mother. She left the divorce papers signed on what use to be the dining room table, where she spent dinner alone every night. As she closed the door to the house, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Her heart still ached, but she was hoping with time it would stop bleeding. She was excited to hopefully jump back into writing. Jump back into who she was before being Huntzbergered.


End file.
